Capacity sharing between wireless systems

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods presented herein provide for capacity sharing between wireless systems. In one embodiment, a scheduler is operable with a plurality of wireless base stations. Each base station is operable to digitize a frequency spectrum of radio communications from a plurality of user equipment (UEs). The scheduler communicatively couples to first and second Mobile Central Offices (MCOs). The scheduler processes the digitized frequency spectrums of the base stations, extracts radio communications of a first of the UEs from the digitized frequency spectrums of one or more of the base stations coupled to the first MCO, determines that a capacity of the first MCO has been exceeded, determines that a capacity of the second MCO is available, acquires at least a portion of the capacity of the second MCO, and handles a call of the first UE through the capacity acquired from the second MCO.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation-in-part patent applicationclaiming priority to, and thus the benefit of an earlier filing datefrom, U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 14/267,168, 14/267,227, and14/267,273 (each filed May 1, 2014), each claiming priority to, and thusthe benefit of an earlier filing date from, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/839,452 (filed Jun. 26, 2013), the entire contents ofeach of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Cellular telephony continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Cellulartelephone networks currently exist in a variety of forms and operateusing a variety of modulations, signaling techniques, and protocols,such as those found in 3G and LTE networks (3rd Generation of mobiletelecommunications technology and Long Term Evolution, respectively). Asconsumers require more capacity, the networks usually evolve. Forexample, some carriers, or Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), employ acombination of 3G and the faster LTE because, as demand for data andvoice increased, the MNOs needed faster networks. But, a completeoverhaul of the MNOs entire network from 3G to the faster LTE would notbe practical or economical. And, the MNOs need to operate both networksuntil the slower network is eventually phased out.

And, the very different ways in which the networks operate furthercomplicate network changes. For example, 3G networks would handlewireless communications through a base station by connecting thecommunications to a Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) through aMobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) of the MNO. In LTE, however,wireless communications through base stations are typically handledthrough packet switching networks so a connection to the PSTN is notnecessary in many cases. In either case, each network of a MNO includessome sort of Mobile Central Office that is operable to handle thecommunications between wireless devices (also known as user equipment)and base stations.

Still, even with these faster networks, the demand for more data appearsto outpace MNO capabilities. And, the demand can change from day to dayor even hour to hour. For example, when a location experiences a rapidincrease in population, such as what occurs during sporting events, theMNOs capacity can be overwhelmed. And, when an MNO's capacity isoverwhelmed, communications between user equipment and base stations getdropped.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods presented herein provide for capacity sharingbetween wireless systems. The embodiment disclosed herein may becombined in a variety of ways as a matter of design choice. For example,one wireless telecommunications system may include a plurality ofwireless base stations and a Mobile Central Office (MCO) communicativelycoupled to each of the wireless base stations. Generally, each wirelessbase station is operable to handle a session (i.e., a voice call, a dataconnection, a Voice Over Internet Protocol, etc.) from a wireless device(also known as user equipment, or “UE”) and to handoff the session toanother of the wireless base stations when the wireless device movesinto a range of the other wireless base station. The MCO is operable todetect capacity on a first of the wireless base stations, to requestcapacity from another wireless system in response to detecting thecapacity on the first wireless base station, to acquire at least aportion of the requested capacity from the other wireless system, and todirect the wireless device to communicate via the capacity acquired fromthe other wireless system.

While in some embodiments the wireless base stations are operable to domuch of the processing of the UE communications, in Virtualized RadioAccess Networks a digitized sample of the entire RF spectrum of interestis generally transmitted on the MCO side of the base station interface.In these embodiments, the wireless base stations may be configured asantennas, transceivers, and digitizers that digitize the radiocommunications of the RF spectrum in which the UEs operate. A digitizedrepresentation of the RF spectrum is transmitted to a remote “cloud” ofbase station processing. For example, each MCO may be allocated aparticular frequency band of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum in whichits subscriber UEs can operate. And, each base station of an MCO may beconfigured to digitize that portion of the radio frequency (RF) spectrumin which its subscriber UEs communicate. Then, each base station conveysthe digitized spectrum to the MCO or some other processing center suchthat the communications of the UEs can be extracted and processed.

In many instances, these processing centers form a virtual Radio AccessNetwork (RAN; also known as a “cloud RAN”) they receive digitizedspectrums from multiple base stations to constructively re-create the RFcommunications of a single UE. For example, a UE's signal may bedetected/received by multiple base stations. Some base stations may havestronger detections of the UE whereas other base stations may receive“multipath” aspects of the UE's signal. The virtual RAN processes thedigitized spectrums of each of the base stations and reconstructs theUE's signal from the “constructive interference” of the multipath andreceptions by multiple base stations. And, the baseband and MAC layersare calculated in the cloud, not at the antenna as in conventional cellnetworks. Thus, the MCO is operable to handle the call through thedigitized or virtual RAN.

In this regard, a scheduler is operable with a plurality of wirelessbase stations. Each base station is operable to digitize a frequencyspectrum of radio communications from a plurality of user equipment(UEs). The scheduler communicatively couples to first and second MobileCentral Offices (MCOs). The scheduler processes the digitized frequencyspectrums of the base stations, extracts radio communications of a firstof the UEs from the digitized frequency spectrums of one or more of thebase stations coupled to the first MCO, determines that a capacity ofthe first MCO has been exceeded, determines that a capacity of thesecond MCO is available, acquires at least a portion of the capacity ofthe second MCO, and handles a call first UE through the capacityacquired from the second MCO.

The various embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in a varietyof ways as a matter of design choice. For example, some embodimentsherein are implemented in hardware whereas other embodiments may includeprocesses that are operable to implement and/or operate the hardware.Other exemplary embodiments, including software and firmware, aredescribed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Some embodiments of the present invention are now described, by way ofexample only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The samereference number represents the same element or the same type of elementon all drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless telecommunicationssystem.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process of a wirelesstelecommunications system.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate exemplary interactions between user equipmentand base stations.

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate exemplary interactions between user equipment andbase stations configured with WiFi.

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate embodiments in which the MCOs coordinate to requestcapacity for subscribers.

FIGS. 9-23 illustrate exemplary signaling techniques in which capacityamong MCOs can be shared dynamically.

FIG. 24 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing system in which acomputer readable medium provides instructions for performing methodsherein.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram of mobile telecommunication systems employingVirtual Radio Access Network (VRAN) processing and capacity sharing.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process of wirelesstelecommunications systems employing VRAN processing and capacitysharing.

FIG. 27 illustrates an embodiment in which the MCOs coordinate torequest capacity for subscribers.

FIG. 28 is another block diagram of mobile telecommunication systemsemploying VRAN processing and capacity sharing.

FIG. 29 illustrates MCO coordination to request capacity for subscribersin another exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The figures and the following description illustrate specific exemplaryembodiments of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that thoseskilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that,although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principlesof the invention and are included within the scope of the invention.Furthermore, any examples described herein are intended to aid inunderstanding the principles of the invention and are to be construed asbeing without limitation to such specifically recited examples andconditions. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specificembodiments or examples described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless telecommunicationssystem. In this embodiment, the system includes a first MCO 101 that isoperable to handle communications between a set 103 of base stations 106and user equipment operating within the range of the base stations 106.For example, the MCO 101 may be operated by a first mobiletelecommunications carrier, or MNO. The set 103 may represent aparticular market/geographical region in which the telecommunicationscarrier operates. Each base station is operable to cover a “cell” 110 ofthat geographical region. A wireless device (not shown), such as amobile handset or other user equipment, may be in communication with afirst of the base stations 106 and move to another location such thatthe wireless device is now in communication with a second of the basestations 106. The MCO 101 is operable to manage the communication of thewireless device from the first base station to the second base station.A second MCO 102 may operate in similar fashion with a set 104 of basestations 106. Alternatively, the MCO 102 may simply represent a wirelessnetwork or wireless entity. In any case, the MCO 102 represents anentity that is separate and distinct from the MCO 101.

Examples of the MCOs 101 and 102 include Mobile Telephone SwitchingOffice (MTSOs) for mobile routing of data sessions and/or voice calls.An MTSO contains switching equipment for routing mobile phone calls fromuser equipment through the base stations. The MTSO interconnects callsfrom the user equipment with the landline telephone companies and otherwireless carriers by connecting the calls to the Public SwitchedTelephone Network (PSTN). In many instances, the MTSO also conveys datafrom between user equipment and the internet via an over-the-airinterface of the base stations and a connection to an internet backbone.The MTSO also provides resources needed to serve a mobile subscriber,such as registration, authentication, location updating and callrouting. The MTSO may also compile billing information for subscribersvia back office systems.

Other examples of the MCOs include packet switching, such as that foundin LTE. In this case, data session services are provided to mobiledevices. An IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) can also be usedin LTE networks to couple user equipment to internet connections so asto convey both data and voice over the Internet, including Voice OverInternet Protocol (VOIP). Generally, though, LTE networks have equipmentat base stations 106 that couple directly to the Internet. Thus, MCOs asused herein may represent such equipment.

Based on the forgoing, an MCO is any system, apparatus, software, orcombination thereof operable to maintain or otherwise support wirelesscommunications, including data and voice, with subscribers via userequipment (e.g., mobile handsets and other wireless devices).Accordingly, the MCO may be a wireless communications carrier or networkemploying, for example, 2G, 3G, LTE, WiFi, or any combination thereof.And, a base station 106 is any device or system operable to communicatewith user equipment via Radio Frequency (RF).

As mentioned, the MCO 101 may be controlled and operated by a firstmobile telecommunications carrier, or MNO. The second MCO 102, in thisembodiment, is controlled and operated by a second telecommunicationscarrier or some other wireless network. In some instances,telecommunications carriers share antenna towers and/or have cells 110that overlap within each other's geographic regions. An example of suchis illustrated in the region 105 where the sets 103 and 104 intersect.For example, the base stations 106 within the region 105 may representantenna towers that comprise antennas belonging to the MCO 101 and theMCO 102. Alternatively or additionally, the cells 110 within the region105 may represent overlapping cells associated with the base stations106. That is, a cell 110 within the region 105 may comprise a basestation 106 belonging to the MCO 101 and a base station 106 belonging tothe MCO 102.

In any case, an MCO may occasionally experience a need for increasedcapacity. For example, each base station 106 may be capable of handlingcommunications for a certain number of users via their respectivedevices (i.e., user equipment). When a base station 106 is at itsmaximum capacity and another user initiates or continues a session withthat base station 106, that breach of capacity can cause sessions to bedropped. At the very least, the maximum capacity prevents the other userfrom having a session with that base station 106 and the MCO. Toovercome such problems, the MCO 101 is configured to communicativelycouple to another wireless communication provider, such as the MCO 102,via the communication link 111 to request additional capacity.

Generally, when MCOs are owned, managed, or otherwise controlled byseparate entities, the competitive nature of the environment preventscooperation among the MCOs 101 and 102. However, the ability to sharecapacity among the MCOs 101 at 102 can be quite beneficial. For example,in emergency situations where one MCO happens to be over capacity withits subscribers and the other MCO operating in the same area is not,moving capacity from the other MCO would allow the over capacity MCO toestablish communications for more of its subscribers and ensure thatcalls go. And, there are certainly commercial advantages to sharingcapacity. For example, if capacity is not being used by one MCO, thenthat capacity could be offered to another MCO for commercial benefit.

As used herein, capacity may include Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum, datathroughput, backhaul capacity, network processing (e.g., virtualizedRANs), channels in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) signal, CodeDivision Multiple Access (CDMA) channels, channels in a FrequencyDivision Multiple Access (FDMA) signal, channels in the OrthogonalFrequency Division Multiplexing (OFMD), Carrier Sense Multiple Access(CSMA), and the like. Backhaul capacity may include, among other things,a backhaul portion of a network including intermediate links between acore network (or a backbone network) and smaller subnetworks at an edgeof a hierarchical network. Backhaul capacity can also include anobligation to carry data packets to and from a global network, and thelike.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 200 of awireless telecommunications system. In this embodiment, the MCO 101detects a capacity on a base station 106 operating under its management,in the process element 201. For example, the MCO 101 may be the underthe control of a particular wireless carrier. The MCO 101 handles datasessions and/or voice sessions for a plurality of base stations 106 onbehalf of the carrier. The data sessions and/or voice sessions areestablished with user equipment, such as mobile handsets, tablets,computers, and the like. The MCO 101 is operable to detect capacity ofthe base stations 106 operable under the control of the wirelesscarrier. To illustrate, the base station 106-1 may have an antennamounted on a tower and operable to handle communications from userequipment operating within the cell 110-1. When the base station 106-1encounters another session with other user equipment that exceeds thecapability of the base station 106-1, the MCO 101 detects the exceededcapability. And, when the MCO 101 detects a certain level of capacitybeing exceeded, the MCO 101 requests capacity from another wirelesscommunication system, such as the MCO 102, in the process element 202.

To request capacity from another wireless telecommunication system, theMCO 101 may be operable to link to the MCO 102 via the communicationlink 111. The communication link 111 may be configured in a variety ofways as a matter design choice. For example, the communication link 111may be an Internet link, a wireless link, a landline, or somecombination thereof. In this regard, the MCO 101 may detect a particularcommunication protocol being employed by the MCO 102 and format arequest message for capacity based on the protocol being employed by theMCO 102.

Assuming that the MCO 102 has available capacity for use by MCO 101, theMCO 101 then acquires at least a portion of the requested capacity fromthe MCO 102, in the process element 203. The MCO 101 then directs anyuser equipment operating within the cell 110-1 not already communicatingvia an established session through the base station 106-1 to begincommunicating through the capacity acquired from the MCO 102, in theprocess element 204. Some non-limiting examples of various manners inwhich the user equipment may communicate through the acquired capacityare now shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4A-4C.

Example

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate exemplary interactions between user equipment125 and base stations 106. More specifically, FIGS. 3A and 3B illustratetwo separate base stations 106-101 and 106-102 sharing the same antennatower. The base station 106-101 is controlled by the MCO 101 and thebase station 106-102 is controlled by the MCO 102. In FIG. 3A, the basestation 106-101 has established a session and is communicating with theuser equipment 125-1 and is currently at capacity. Another userequipment 125-2 then attempts to establish a session with the basestation 106-101. The MCO 101 detects this situation and communicateswith the MCO 102 to request an amount of excess capacity that the MCO102 may have.

As can be seen in FIG. 3A, the base station 106-102 has a sessionestablished with the user equipment 125-3. However, the base station106-102 still has capacity available for use by the base station106-101. Thus, the base station 106-101, after requesting the excesscapacity from the MCO 102, acquires the excess capacity by directing theuser equipment 125-2 to establish a session with the base station106-102, as illustrated in FIG. 3B.

Alternatively, the MCO 101, after negotiating with the MCO 102 forcapacity, may simply acquire the capacity in the form of a frequencyband that is allocated to the MCO 102. For example, the MCO 102 may havea license to a particular frequency band that differs from that of theMCO 101 so they won't interfere with one another on the same antennatower. After the MCO 101 negotiates with the MCO 102 for additionalcapacity, the MCO 102 may simply relinquish that capacity and preclude,at least temporarily, its subscribers from using that frequency band.Thereafter, the MCO 101 may direct its subscribers to use the frequencyband acquired from the MCO 102 by transmitting control messages to theuser equipment of the subscribers that direct the user equipment tochange frequency bands.

As discussed above, the capacity to be acquired may be any of a numberof different types of communication technologies. For example, theacquired capacity may be a channel of the communication technologyimplemented by the MCO 102 through the base station 106-102. Thus, ifthe user equipment 125-2 is compatible, either the MCO 101 or the MCO102 directs the user equipment 125-2 to establish a session with thebase station 106-102. This may entail the user equipment 125-2 occupyinga CDMA channel, an FDMA channel, a TDMA channel, an OFDM channel, etc.on the base station 106-102 depending on the communication technologybeing implemented on the base station 106-102.

Example

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate exemplary interactions between user equipment 125and base 106 stations configured with WiFi. In this embodiment, the basestations 106-101 and 106-102 are still configured on the same antennatower. The base stations 106-101 and 106-102 are also configured withWiFi access points 130 that provide Internet access to the userequipment 125. Thus, the user equipment 125-1 and 125-2, beingsubscribers to the MCO 101, are operable to communicate data and/orvoice via the WiFi access points 130-101 associated with the basestation 106-101 and the MCO 101. Similarly, the user equipment 125-3 isoperable to communicate data and/or voice via the WiFi access point130-102 associated with the base station 106-102 and the MCO 102.

In FIG. 4A, the user equipment 125-2 is attempting to establish asession with the base station 106-101 by way of either of the WiFiaccess point 130-101 or through the cellular communications beingemployed by the base station 106-101. However, as the user equipment125-2 attempts to establish a session with the base station 106-101and/or the WiFi access point 130-101 (collectively the MCO 101), it iseither being blocked by the signal from the WiFi access point 130-102 orthe capacity for the base station 106-101 has reached its capacity.Thus, the MCO 101 may request additional capacity from the MCO 102 suchthat the user equipment 125-2 can establish a session.

In FIG. 4B, the capacity is acquired by a negotiation between the MCO101 and the MCO 102 to direct the MCO 102 to decrease the signalstrength of the WiFi access point 130-102 and/or change the direction ofthe WiFi signal. Thus, the user equipment 125-2 can establish a sessionwith the MCO 101. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4C, the negotiationbetween the MCO 101 and the MCO 102 results in directing the user 125-2to establish a session with the MCO 102 (e.g., via the WiFi access point130-102 and/or the base station 106-102). Accordingly, those skilled inthe art will readily recognize that the invention is not intended to belimited to any form of capacity sharing. And, it should be noted thatthe capacity may be dynamically shared among MCOs. For example, the MCOsvia their local schedulers or other scheduling systems may automaticallyexchange capacity with one another based on need. Thus, if one MCO needscapacity, its scheduling system may automatically retrieve that capacityfrom another MCO (i.e., assuming it is a cooperative MCO) for as long asthe capacity is needed or until the other MCO requires the capacity.

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate embodiments in which the MCOs coordinate to requestcapacity for subscribers. More specifically, FIG. 5 illustrates an MCO101 with a local scheduler 155 operable to request additional capacityfrom other MCOs 102-103. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary coordination ofcapacity requests from an MCO 101 using satellites 160, such as GPSsatellites, to provide timing for the capacity requests. FIG. 7illustrates an exemplary master scheduler 175 that is operable tocoordinate capacity requests with local schedulers 155 of MCOs 101-103and to request capacity on their behalf. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplarymaster scheduler 175 that is operable to detect capacity issues amongMCOs 101-103 and request capacity on their behalf.

In FIG. 5, the MCO 101 is configured with a local scheduler 155 that isoperable to detect capacities of its base stations 106. The MCOs 102 and103 may be configured with similar local schedulers 155 that areoperable to detect the capacities of their base stations 106. Forexample, each MCO may be configured with a plurality of base stations106 to provide wireless services to its subscribers. In this regard,each MCO be associated with a different operating entity as discussedabove. And, each scheduler 155 of the MCOs is operable to detectcapacity of its various base stations 106 so as to request additionalcapacity from other MCOs when needed. Thus, a scheduler 155 is anysystem, device, software, or combination thereof operable to detectcapacities of base stations 106 within its operating zone and requestcapacity from other MCOs and/or other wireless providers.

To illustrate, the scheduler 105 of the MCO 101 continually detectscapacity of the base stations 106-1-106-N operating within its zoneindicated by the dashed line (where the reference “N” is merely intendedto indicate an integer greater than “1” and not necessarily equal to anyother “N” reference herein). The local scheduler 155 of the MCO 101 thendetects a capacity issue with the base station 106-1 and forms capacityrequests for the MCO 102 and the MCO 103.

The MCOs 102 and 103, via their local schedulers 155, may alsocontinually detect capacity issues with their base stations 106.Accordingly, when the local scheduler 155 of the MCO 102 receives arequest from the MCO 101, the local scheduler 155 determines if it hasany capacity available to share with the MCO 101. In this embodiment,the local scheduler 155 of the MCO 102 detects that capacity isavailable on the base station 106-N and directs that base station torelease its capacity (e.g., by only allowing a lesser number ofsubscribers to access the base station 106-N). The base station 106-N ofthe MCO 102 then releases its capacity to the local scheduler 155 of theMCO 102 such that the local scheduler 155 of the MCO 102 can grant thecapacity to the local scheduler 155 of the MCO 101. Once that capacityis granted, the subscribers on the base station 106-1 can begin usingthat capacity (e.g., in one or more of the manners describedhereinabove).

As capacity can be granted, it can also be denied. In this embodiment,the local scheduler 155 of the MCO 103 also receives a request from thelocal scheduler 105 of the MCO 101 for additional capacity. The localscheduler 105 of the MCO 103 determines that it has no availablecapacity and denies the request to the local scheduler 155 of the MCO101. Alternatively, a denial of requested capacity may be the result ofMCOs being expressly from cooperating with one another (e.g.,contractually precluded).

It should be noted that the invention is not intended to be limited toany particular amount of available capacity being requested. Rather, alocal scheduler 155 may be able to request capacity for any number ofsubscribers. For example, the local scheduler 155 of the MCO 101 mayneed additional capacity for a single subscriber. Accordingly, the localscheduler 155 of the MCO 101 may request capacity from each of the MCOs102 and 103 for that subscriber. Additionally, capacity requests may bebased on prioritization. For example, a priority subscriber, such as anemergency response person, may be a subscriber to only the MCO 101.However, to ensure that the priority subscriber has access tocommunications as needed, the user equipment of the priority subscribermay be operable to direct the local schedulers 155 to coordinate toensure that the priority subscriber has wireless access as desired.

It should also be noted that the invention is not intended to be limitedto capacity requests being made only for subscribers of individual MCOs.For example, FIG. 5 illustrates another wireless provider 150 beingcommunicatively coupled to the MCO 101. In this embodiment, the wirelessprovider 150 provides wireless services to a separate set of wirelesssubscribers. However, in certain geographical regions, that wirelessprovider 150 may use (e.g., lease) capacity from the MCO 101.Accordingly, the local scheduler 155 may be operable to requestadditional capacity for subscribers of the wireless provider 150communicating within the operating zone of the MCO 101.

The capacity requests can be implemented in a variety of ways as amatter of design choice. For example, the local schedulers 155 of theMCOs 101-103 may be linked through an Internet connection with softwarethat communicates between the MCOs to negotiate and share capacity. Inthis regard, one or more the MCOs 101-103 may have cellular transceiversconfigured with their respective base stations 106 so as to communicatedirectly through the Internet. Examples of such include LTEtransceivers, such as eNodeB. In other embodiments, the local schedulers105 of the MCOs 101-103 may communicate through a common communicationlink and common communication protocol to negotiate capacity sharing.This communications link may be carried over wireless channels betweenthe separate wireless systems. Accordingly, the invention is notintended be limited to any manner in which the MCOs 101-103 negotiateand share capacity. An example of one embodiment of a communication linkbetween the local schedulers 155 is illustrated FIG. 6.

In FIG. 6, the local schedulers 125 of the MCOs 101 and 102 communicatewith one another through a communication link 161 to share capacity withone another, including backhaul capacity described above. For example,when the local scheduler 105 of the MCO 101 requests capacity from thelocal scheduler 105 of the MCO 102, the local scheduler 155 of the MCO102 may grant the capacity through the communication link. Such may alsoentail allowing the subscriber of the MCO 101 to communicate on the basestations 106 of the MCO 102 (via data and/or voice) and then transferthat communication to the MCO 101 over the communication link such thatthe back office systems of the MCO 101 can associate the billing andother information with the subscriber.

Also, cellular data sessions or telephony generally require timingsignals to coordinate communications and communication handoffs amongbase stations 106. Thus, when one subscriber is operating under theshared capacity of another MCO, timing information to manage thecommunications may be passed over the communication link 161 between thelocal schedulers 155 of the MCOs 101 and 102. One example of theprotocol used for such timing includes the IEEE 1588 timing protocol.Alternatively or additionally, the local schedulers 105 of the MCOs 101and 102 may receive timing information from satellites 160. For example,GPS satellites transmit timing and location information for receiversbelow. The MCOs 101 and 102 may use this timing information tocoordinate their requests, call handling, and/or capacity sharing.

Again, the communication link 161 is not intended to be limited to anyparticular form. For example, the communication link 161 may be an“air-to-air” interface between local schedulers 155 of the MCOs 101 and102. Alternatively or additionally, the communication link 161 may be alandline, an Internet connection, or the like. And, this embodiment(including the use of timing via the satellites 160) may be combinedwith other embodiments disclosed herein.

In FIG. 7, an exemplary master scheduler 175 is operable to coordinatethe capacity requests with local schedulers 155 of MCOs 101-103. Themaster scheduler 175 is communicatively coupled to each of the MCOs101-103 to coordinate the capacity sharing requests via their respectivelocal schedulers 155. In this regard, the local schedulers 155 of theMCOs 101-103 are operable to detect the capacity of their respectivebase stations 106 to determine if and when additional capacity should berequested.

To again illustrate with the MCO 101, the local scheduler 155 of the MCO101 detects a capacity issue with one of its base stations, the basestation 106-1. Accordingly, the local scheduler 155 formats a requestfor additional capacity and transfers the request to the masterscheduler 175. The master scheduler 175 then conveys the request forcapacity to the local schedulers 155 of the MCOs 102 and 103. Such maybe done in the event that the MCOs operate under unique communicationsprotocols that may be incompatible with one another.

The local schedulers 155 of the MCOs 102 and 103, as they arecontinually detecting the capacity of the respective base stations 106,then make a determination if they have any available capacity to share.In this embodiment, the local scheduler 155 of the MCO 102 determinesthat capacity is available from one of its base stations 106-1. Thelocal scheduler 155 of the MCO 102 then directs the base station 106-1to release its capacity (e.g., limit the number of subscribers accessingthe base station 106-1). The local scheduler 155 of the MCO 102 thenindicates to the master scheduler 175 that the capacity has beenreleased.

Once the capacity has been released to the master scheduler 175, themaster scheduler 175 indicates such to the local scheduler 155 of theMCO 101 such that the MCO 101 may direct its subscribers to begin usingthe added capacity. The local scheduler 155 of the MCO 101, in thisregard, maintains control of the requesting capacity until it is nolonger needed by the base station 106-1. Once that capacity is no longerneeded, the base station 106-1 releases the capacity such that the localscheduler 155 of the MCO 101 can indicate such to the master scheduler175. The local scheduler 155 of the MCO 102, when notified by the masterscheduler 175, then reacquires the capacity for base station 106-1.

Again, just as the capacity can be released and shared, it can also bedenied. In this regard, the master scheduler 175 issues a capacityrequest to the local scheduler 155 of the MCO 103. The local scheduler155 of the MCO 103 determines that it has no capacity available anddenies the request to the master scheduler 175.

A master scheduler 175 as used herein is any system, device, software,or combination thereof operable to interface and communicate with aplurality of MCOs to coordinate/manage capacity sharing among the MCOs.In this regard, the master scheduler 175 may be operable to interfaceusing any of a variety of protocols and/or communication techniquesavailable to the MCOs from which it requests capacity.

FIG. 8 illustrates another exemplary master scheduler 175 that isoperable to detect capacity issues among MCOs 101-103 and requestcapacity on their behalf. In this embodiment, the master scheduler 175is operable to detect capacity issues on behalf of the MCOs 101-103,thereby essentially eliminating the need for the local schedulers 155 tomanage capacity. In other words, the master scheduler 175 in thisembodiment offloads the local scheduler duties of the MCOs 101-103.

As the master scheduler 175 is operable to detect capacities of the basestations 106-1-106-N of each of the MCOs 101-103, the master scheduler175 is operable to determine when a base station 106 can use morecapacity. Again using the base station 106-1 of the MCO 101, the masterscheduler 175 determines a capacity issue with the base station 106-1and issues a capacity requests to the base stations with availablecapacity. To illustrate, the master scheduler 175 requests capacity fromthe base station 106-N of the MCO 102 and from the base station 106-1 ofthe MCO 103.

As the master scheduler 175 makes a determination whether capacity isavailable or not, there is no need for a base station 106 or, for thatmatter, an MCO to deny a capacity request. In other words, the masterscheduler 175 detects and manages the capacities of the base stations106 on behalf of the MCOs 101-103. Accordingly, when the masterscheduler 175 issues the capacity request to the base station 106-N ofthe MCO 102 and to the base station 106-1 of the MCO 103, that capacityis released to the master scheduler 175. The master scheduler 175, inturn, grants the capacity to the base station 106-1 of the MCO 101 suchthat the MCO 101 can direct its subscribers to use the acquiredcapacity. When the capacity is no longer needed, the base station 106-1releases the capacity to the master scheduler 175 which, in turn,returns the capacity to the base station 106-N of the MCO 102 and to thebase station 106-1 of the MCO 103.

FIGS. 9-23 illustrate exemplary signaling techniques in which capacityamong MCOs can be shared, be it through FDMA, CDMA, TDMA, OFDM, packetswitching, or the like. Cellular communication systems generallytransmit in both directions simultaneously (i.e., duplexcommunications), be it data or voice. Thus, it is also generallynecessary to be able to specify the different directions of transmissionin the signaling. The uplink side (UL) of the duplex communicationsincludes transmissions from the user equipment to the eNodeB or basestation 106. And, the downlink side (DL) of the duplex communicationsincludes transmissions from the eNodeB or base station 106 to the userequipment. As used herein, eNodeBs are any systems, devices, software,or combinations thereof operable to communicate with user equipment viabase stations 106.

The following FIGS. 9-23 illustrate the UL and DL sides of signaltransmissions with the frequency domain being represented vertically andthe time domain being represented horizontally, in accordance withexemplary embodiments of the invention. More specifically, FIGS. 9-13illustrate various exemplary Time Division Duplex (TDD) LTE signalingtechniques, FIGS. 14-18 illustrate various exemplary Frequency DivisionDuplex (FDD) LTE signaling techniques, and FIGS. 19-23 illustratevarious exemplary shared eNodeB LTE signaling techniques, each of whichmay be implemented, either alone or in combination, with the capacitysharing embodiments described above. And, in the following embodimentsof the FIGS. 9-23, certain elements have the same or similar meanings.For example, the element 301 throughout the drawings indicates aPhysical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) whereas the element 302indicates a Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH). The PDCCH 301 carriesdownlink allocation information and uplink allocation grants for aterminal. And, the DL-SCH 302 carries synchronization signals PSS andSSS for the user equipment to discover an LTE cell.

In LTE, the DL-SCH elements 302 are generally configured at the centerof the channel and a Master Information Block (MIB) is transmittedtherefrom. For example, in order to communicate with a network, the userequipment obtains basic system information, which is carried by the MIB(static) and a System Information Block (dynamic; “SIB”). The MIBcarries the system information including system bandwidth, System FrameNumber (SFN), and a Physical Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (PHARM)Indicator Channel Configuration, or PHICH.

The MIB is carried on a Broadcast Channel (BCH) and mapped into aPhysical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), which is transmitted with a fixedcoding and modulation scheme that can be decoded after an initial cellsearch procedure. With the information obtained from the MIB, userequipment can decode a Control Format Indicator (CFI), which indicatesthe PDCCH length and allows the PDCCH 301 to be decoded. The presence inthe PDCCH 301 of a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message scrambledwith System Information Radio Network Temporary Identifier (SI-RNTI)indicates that an SIB is carried in the same subframe.

The SIB is transmitted in the Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) logicalchannel and BCCH messages are generally carried and transmitted on theDL-SCH 302. Control signaling is used to support the transmission of theDL-SCH 302. Control information for user equipment is generallycontained in a DCI message transmitted through the PDCCH 301. The numberof MNOs (again, “Mobile Network Operators”), the allocation percentageper MNO, and the expected variation in allocation generally determineoptimal locations for the center of each DL-SCH 302, thereby limitingthe probability of DL-SCH 302 relocations.

When employing TDD in an LTE network, time coordination is used betweenthe eNodeBs in the LTE network, including coarse time coordination, finetime coordination, and synchronized time coordination. Coarse timecoordination means that at least two eNodeBs share a clock withresolution greater than a clock pulse. Fine time coordination indicatesthat at least two eNodeBs share a clock with resolution less than thelength of a cyclic prefix. Synchronized time coordination means thatsample clocks are locked between the two eNodeBs. Again, these timingconsiderations may be implemented in a variety of ways as a matter ofdesign choice. For example, eNodeBs may receive their clock signals fromlocal schedulers 155, master schedulers 175, satellites 160, networkclocks, or the like.

When employing FDD in an LTE network, frequency coordination is used tobetween the eNodeBs in the LTE network. Generally, frequencycoordination and allocation is semi-static, real time, and/or dynamic.Semi-static spectrum allocation means that spectrum allocation isprovisioned by MNO agreements and changes infrequently. Real-timespectrum allocation means that spectrum allocation between MNOs that canvary dynamically based on resource needs and scheduler capability (e.g.,the schedulers 155 and 175). Allocations are flexible within bounds thatare configured by agreement between MNOs. Dynamic scheduling meanschannel time allocations that are variably sized for each MNO.

Other features common throughout FIGS. 9-23 include guard times 320 thatare relevant to the timing considerations just mentioned and guard bands330 that are relevant to the frequency considerations just mentioned.Also in FIGS. 9-23 are first downlink channels represented by thereferences DL M1 303, second downlink channels represented by thereferences DL M2 304, first uplink channels represented by thereferences UL M1 305, and second uplink channels represented by thereferences UL M2 306.

Generally, in LTE DLs, two synchronization signals are transmitted insix center Resource Blocks (RBs), including a Primary Sync Signal (PSS)and a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS). Information about systembandwidth is contained in the MIB and is expressed as some number of kHzabove or below the center frequency. When a UE initially comes online,it finds the PSS/SSS and then the MIB.

When operators (e.g., MNOs/MCOs) share spectrum, the variability of thespectrum sharing can vary dynamically based on factors of 10milliseconds or a number of times in an LTE frame. Since PSS, SSS, MIB,and SIBs are transmitted at the center of the spectrum, dynamicallyvarying the spectrum sharing between two operators means that thesesynchronization and system messages are frequently re-aligned.Accordingly, with the embodiments disclosed herein, the center frequencyblock of each of the operators can be changed on a slower changingtimeline compared to the variability of the spectrum sharing. Once userequipment locks onto the LTE system, it is up to the eNodeB to allocateRBs to each user equipment. Although dynamically changing the spectrumsharing generally means changing the system bandwidth and that thesynchronization and system information messages are no longertransmitted in the “true center” of the new system bandwidth, an eNodeBof a first operator can simply not allocate the portion of the RBs thatno longer belong to that operator as that portion is now taken up byanother operator.

This mode of operations can persist until the eNodeB deems that a changeof center frequency is either necessary or convenient to do so withoutdisrupting the user equipment attached to the LTE system. An example ofsuch includes when system bandwidth has changed (e.g., reduced or moved)so much that it resulted in the synchronization and system informationmessages needing to be sent outside of the system bandwidth. Anotherexample might include when user equipment is not actively receivingtraffic on a DL or sending traffic on a UL.

A new messaging may be used to indicate the new position of the centerfrequency blocks to assist the user equipment in finding the new center.This message may be sent via the SIB, the MIB, and/or the PDCCH (e.g.,the DL control channel). In the PDCCH, seven new bits may be defined tosend the new center frequency. A 2-bit counter indicates a number offrames ahead in time when new center frequency adjustment takes place,with a “0” value of the counter indicating the current center frequency.

The amount of guard time 320 should be sufficiently long to ensure userequipment can lock onto the new center frequency. If two operators donot share eNodeBs, the eNodeBs need to communicate either OTA or via thebackbone. In other words, an inter-operator X2 interface can be defined.In the case where the eNodeBs from first and second operators operatemore on a master-slave basis, then one eNodeB could be configured to actas user equipment to another eNodeB, and thus be allocated resources toin turn reallocate the resources to the user equipment in its system.

With this in mind, the acquired capacity in the following embodimentscan be considered as an access to spectrum that is multiplexed in timeand/or frequency blocks. For example, for a first second, an MNO mayreceive a 10 Mhz block of bandwidth. For the next two seconds, that MNOmay receive a 20 Mhz block of bandwidth, and then the MNO reverts backto the 10 MHz of bandwidth for one second. Alternatively, the MNO mayreceive a 10 Mhz block of bandwidth indefinitely or even receive theblock periodically, one second of access followed by two seconds of noaccess, with the pattern repeating. FIGS. 9-23 illustrate variouscombinations of these concepts. And, once an MNO acquires the capacity,it can place its own TDMA, CDMA and/or OFDMA channels/signals within thecapacity block allocations.

Turning now to the TDD LTE signaling techniques of FIGS. 9-13 in whichcapacity sharing may be employed, FIG. 9 illustrates a TDD-LTE TDMsignaling with a non-shared eNodeB and static timing allocations. Inthis embodiment, the guard time 320-2 is generally longer than the guardtimes 320-1 and 320-3. The guard time 320-2 is also generally dependenton a round-trip delay of a signal between a base station 106 and userequipment.

In this embodiment, the channels DL M1 303, DL M2 304, UL M1 305, and ULM2 306 occupy the entire spectrum being allocated with the time domainallocation being static. This signaling technique employs predefinedtime allocations and leverages existing user equipment and eNodeBs withrelatively little change in transmission. The user equipment handles twodistinct PDCCHs 301 on the same band that are controlled by the MNO. Thestatic time domain allocation may be configured manually and thusrequires no new interfaces. Even though RF parameters and cellsize/layout may differ for each MNO, no inter-MNO interfaces needed.And, as the guard times 320 absorb clock differences, timingsynchronizations can be more loosely defined. This embodiment providesthe MNOs with the ability to have multiplexed access to a singlefrequency bandwidth channel in a synchronized manner based on resourcenegotiation.

In FIG. 10, a TDD-LTE TDM signaling technique is illustrated withnon-shared eNodeB and dynamic time allocation. The channels DL M1 303,DL M2 304, UL M1 305, and UL M2 306 in this embodiment again occupy theentire spectrum of the allocated frequency band but the time domainallocation is variable. The user equipment again handles two distinctPDCCHs 301 on the same band, which are controlled by the individualMNOs. Time allocation scheduling may be implemented with a customizedinter-MNO interface. And, the guard times 320 absorb clock differencesto provide for more loosely defined timing synchronizations. If WiFi isused to transmit (e.g., in the 2.4 GHz-2.5 GHz and the 5.7 GHz-5.9 GHzbands), the guard times 320 may be established via the DistributedCoordination Function (DCS) (i.e., via the DCF Interframe Space, or“DIFS” duration) of the IEEE 802.11 standards as follows: (guard time320)≧(DIFS)≦(time required for transmission of a larger packet of data).This allows an eNodeB to sniff WiFi signals and track the NAV field toefficiently reclaim a channel after WiFi transmissions. This embodimentalso provides the MNOs with the ability to employ a duty cycle ofperiodic multiplexed access that can be updated based on a currentnegotiated resource allocation negotiation across networks.

In FIG. 11, a TDD-LTE semi-static FDM signaling technique is illustratedwith non-shared eNodeB. In this embodiment, the frequency spectrum isdivided between two MNOs 331 and 332 in a static configuration (e.g.,MNO 331 and MNO 332 being analogous to MCO 101 and MCO 102). Each of theMNOs 331 and 332 operate their sub-bands independently with respect totheir RF parameters and scheduling/resource allocation within itsrespective sub-band. Generally this means that the M1 and M2 channelsnegotiate to adjust frequency spectrum splits. In this regard, thesplits are separated by frequency guard bands 330 such that the spectrumsplits can be more loosely defined.

In FIG. 12, a TDD-LTE semi-static time-coordinated FDM signalingtechnique is illustrated with non-shared eNodeB. Generally, timecoordinated means that, at any instant in time, both the M1 and M2channels are either UL or DL, and thus does not ensure orthogonality.Accordingly, eNodeBs are synchronized to ensure orthogonality. Thefrequency spectrum split of the M1 and M2 channels is semi-static butdoes not match for the UL and DL. The arrow 340 indicates that there isno shift of the PSS and SSS signals is needed if its current locationremains within the MNO allocation. This embodiment is similar to thatshown in FIG. 11, in that it generally employs time coordination so thatthe UL and DL can operate in the same time windows. This timecoordination may require inter-MNO interfaces for the MNOs 331 and 332.And, since this does not require time or frequency synchronization, thissignaling technique allows for the more loosely defined guard times 320and guard bands 330. This embodiment provides the MNOs with periodicmultiplexed access to a frequency bandwidth channel via both duty cycleand channel bandwidth that can be updated based on a current negotiatedresource allocation across networks.

In FIG. 13, a TDD-LTE real-time time-coordinated FDM signaling techniquewith non-shared eNodeB. In this embodiment, the spectrum split betweenM1 and M2 is real-time variable without matching for UL and DL. Thisgenerally means that coordinated scheduling is employed (e.g., via themaster scheduler 175 or via coordinated local schedulers 155). Aninter-MNO interface may be configured, in this regard, to coordinatewith the schedulers and create real time spectrum allocation.

Turning now to FIGS. 14-18, various exemplary FDD-LTE signalingtechniques are illustrated. In FIG. 14, an FDD-LTE TDM signalingtechnique is illustrated with Non-Shared eNodeB and a static scheduling.The guard times 320-1 in this embodiment are not necessarily equal tothe guard times 320-2. And, as this is a static schedulingconfiguration, channel time allocations are generally consistent foreach MNO. Frequency allocation is also static for the UL and DL

PDCCHs 301 are unique for each MNO and generated by each eNodeBindependently. RF parameters and cell size/layout may be different foreach MNO thereby leveraging existing user equipment and eNodeB withfewer changes. The user equipment, however, generally needs to handletwo distinct PDCCHs 301 on the same band.

In FIG. 15, an FDD-LTE TDM signaling technique with non-shared eNodeBand dynamic time allocation is illustrated. In this embodiment, theguard times 320-1 are again not necessarily equal to the guard times320-2. Scheduling is non-static meaning that channel time allocationsmay be variably sized for each MNO and that it may be external orhierarchical. However, frequency allocation is static for the UL and DL.PDCCHs 301 are unique for each MNO and are generated by each eNodeBindependently. RF parameters and cell size/layout may also differ foreach operator. User equipment generally needs to handle two distinctPDCCHS 301 on same band.

In FIG. 16, an FDD-LTE Dynamic FDM signaling technique with non-sharedeNodeB is illustrated. In this embodiment, a PDCCH 301 is sent forcenter frequency adjustment to dynamically allocate resources. A masterresource allocator (e.g., the master scheduler 175) may assign centerfrequencies to each MNO based on estimated traffic. Adjustment to centerfrequencies may be done through the PDCCH 301.

A control channel is maintained in the middle to provide agile resourceallocation. In this regard, the PDCCH 301 may require additional bits toassign the new center frequency. A 2-bit counter may be used to indicatea number of frames ahead in time when the new center frequencyadjustment is assigned. A “0” value in the counter indicates the currentcenter frequency. Alternatively, the MIB may be used to assign thecenter frequency.

Frequency allocation is dynamic for the UL and the DL. The PDCCHs 301are unique for each MNO and generated by each eNodeB independently.Again, the RF parameters and cell size/layout may be different for eachMNO. The arrow 340 indicates that there is no shift of the PSS and SSSsignals is needed if its current location remains within the MNOallocation. However, the arrow 341 indicates that adjustment ofresources may occur with the PDCCH 301 (e.g., a differential controlchannel frequency).

In FIG. 17, an FDD-LTE TDM semi-static time coordination with non-sharedeNodeB employing dynamic time allocation is illustrated. In thisembodiment, time coordination generally means that M1 and M2 changefrequency spectrum allocation in unison. The spectrum split between M1and M2 is semi-static, but there is no matching for the UL and the DL,similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 16. This signalingtechnique does not require time coordination for changing spectrumallocation between the UL and the DL. However, an inter-MNO interfacemay be required for time coordination of frequency spectrum allocationbetween MNOs. Also, changes in spectrum allocation may cause a spectrumoverlap. Accordingly, guard times 320 and guard bands 330 may be used.

In FIG. 18, an FDD-LTE TDM real-time time coordination FDM signalingtechnique is illustrated with non-shared eNodeB. In this embodiment, aspectrum split/allocation between M1 and M2 is real-time variable, buthas no matching for the UL and the DL. Such may employ coordinatedscheduling (e.g., via the master scheduler 175 or via coordinated localschedulers 155), an inter-MNO interface, as well as an interface to anarbiter (e.g., the master scheduler 175).

Turning now to FIGS. 19-23, various exemplary shared eNodeB signalingtechniques are illustrated. In FIG. 19, a TDD-LTE TDM signalingtechnique with Shared eNodeB is illustrated.

In FIG. 20, a TDD-LTE semi-static time-coordinated FDM signalingtechnique with shared eNodeB and dual 51 with multiplexed PDCCH 301 isillustrated.

In FIG. 21, a TDD-LTE semi-static time-coordinated FDM signalingtechnique with shared eNodeB and dual 51 with dual PDCCH 301 isillustrated.

In FIG. 22, a TDD-LTE dynamic FDM signaling technique with shared eNodeBis illustrated. In this embodiment, one eNodeB is shared by “N” numberof MNOs. This signaling technique employs continuous OrthogonalFrequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) without guard bands 330 on the DLand the UL. It also employs a common PDCCH 301 and each MNO resourceallocation is in real-time.

In FIG. 23, a TDD-LTE TDM signaling technique with shared eNodeB isillustrated. This embodiment employs dynamic time and frequencyallocation. Generally, resources are synchronized and dynamicallyallocated between MNOs. A guard time 320 is implemented for the DL andthe UL transitions (e.g., based on RTT of the user equipment). Also,there are generally two scheduling models. A first model includes acommon scheduler, such as the master scheduler 175, to coordinatesharing between MNOs for resource and user equipment allocation. Asecond model includes hierarchical scheduling where resources aredivided amongst MNOs via the master scheduler 175 on a shared eNodeB.The user equipment may perform scheduling on the UL within allocatedresources via “child schedulers” on the shared eNodeB.

The embodiments herein provide new cellular broadcast channels that canbe used to communicate spectrum use to cellular peers while providingcollision avoidance techniques to broadcast channels such that cellularpeers can dynamically enter and leave shared signaling. The cellularbroadcast channel leverages existing cellular broadcast channelsynchronization methods specific to the cellular air interface (e.g.,LTE). The broadcast channel indicates that it is a spectrum usebroadcast channel and includes a mobile network code and indicates thespectrum bands in use.

Each sequence of information pertaining to spectrum band in usegenerally indicates the spectrum band in use, the subcarriers in usewithin the band, and the time period of expected use for the subcarrierprior to release to another network. The cellular broadcast channel isgenerally used on a well-known narrow band frequency, such as WiFi. Thecellular network senses the frequency to ensure it is not being usedprior to broadcasting its spectrum use on that frequency. This avoidscollisions between cellular broadcast channels. Other networks can alsoscan the frequency to determine if the spectrum is in use.

The embodiments disclosed herein can also extend existing cellularbroadcast channels for cellular peers to communicate spectrum use toeach other. For example, as an alternative to the cellular broadcastchannel, the cellular network may use an extended cellular broadcastchannel to communicate its spectrum use. In this case, spectrum useinformation may be appended to the end of an existing broadcast channel.This broadcast channel indicates a spectrum use broadcast channel, amobile network code, and the spectrum bands that are in use. Similarly,each sequence of spectrum band in use information indicates the spectrumband in use, the subcarriers in use within the band, and the time periodof expected use for the subcarrier prior to release to another network.Another network may still need to scan the band to find the broadcastchannel as sense and collision avoidance techniques may not be used insuch an embodiment.

The embodiments disclosed herein also allow base stations 106 tobroadcast their spectrum use as WiFi traffic payloads or via MAC layersignaling. In this regard, each base station 106 would contain a WiFitransceiver for the sake of spectrum use communications. A WiFi SSID isthen broadcast to indicate spectrum use of the cellular network. TheSSID name may indicate it is being used for spectrum information.Alternatively, the 802.11 MAC layer broadcast messaging would indicate aspectrum information SSID. And, a WiFi device would be able to detectthe spectrum information SSID to “auto-associate”. Once associated, thebase station 106 broadcasts spectrum use information as an applicationor in the form of a MAC layer information response.

User equipment can also be configured to detect broadcast channels viacellular scanning and broadcast channel interpretation. The userequipment can also be configured to detect the broadcast channels over aWiFi traffic channel broadcasts (e.g., via cellular spectrum usebroadcast information as WiFi MAC signaling or traffic payloads). Theuser equipment can also be configured to detect broadcast channels overWiFi by extending the HS2.0 3GPP network information beacon. Forexample, 802.11u (part of 802.11-2012) includes a MAC layer informationexchange of 3GPP information. The MAC layer includes a mobile networkidentifier and an authentication mechanism identifier used in networkattachment. This information can be extended to include spectrum-in-useinformation.

Additionally, WiFi channel detection can be integrated into the basestations 106 so that a base station 106 can dynamically assignfrequencies. For example, an LTE base station can be configured todetect WiFi beacons that describe beacon use. In this regard, WiFi radiointerfaces can be integrated into the LTE base stations to operate as aWiFi device. The base station 106 would then scan and detect SSIDs tosee the spectrum is in use by WiFi. The SSIDs would indicate the bandsand channels in use by the WiFi network such that subscribers couldaccess them the other user equipment. A cellular network within avoidplacing cellular subcarriers in the spectrum when it is in use by theWiFi SSIDs. Alternatively, other unlicensed band receivers could beincorporated into the base station 106 to detect energy that may not beWiFi, including Zigbee, wireless microphones, and the like. From there,the base station 106 could dynamically assign frequencies to itssubscribers.

In one LTE embodiment, UE measurements related to inter-system (a.k.a.inter-RAT) mobility and/or Inter-frequency automatic neighbor relation(ANR) can be extended to dynamically include a WiFi cell as a neighbor.The ANR is a cellular technique where neighboring cells areautomatically discovered. Such an embodiment would support mobilityacross networks. For example, during WiFi network discovery, thecellular network can populate WiFi neighbor information in the ANR forthe sake of handover planning between WiFi and cellular. This is not aspectrum sharing topic, but rather a mobility technique that exploitsnetwork detection techniques that can also be used for spectrum sharing.

Wireless access points of WiFi networks can be configured to detect newcellular broadcast channels and/or extended cellular broadcast channelsand then apply 802.11 dynamic frequency selection (DSF) and channelselection principals to avoid collision with cellular use of thespectrum. Once the WiFi networks detect the spectrum in use by cellularnetworks, the WiFi networks can assign associated WiFi devices tochannels in the band that will not interfere with the cellular networkwhere they can assign channels to another band not in use by thecellular network. Enrollee stations (STAs) of Wi-Fi networks can also beconfigured to detect new cellular broadcast channels and/or extendedcellular broadcast channels to avoid cellular spectrums in use. Suchsolves interference issues with WiFi peer to peer transmissions.

Base stations 106 can also be configured to detect WiFi beacons andcontrol messages in order to avoid currently in use WiFi channels. Forexample, the base stations 106 can take into account the frequenciescurrently in use by cell network peers (e.g., different MCOs/MNOs) andWiFi end points as part of their traffic channel assignment decisions.For example, the base stations 106 can detect new broadcast channels orextended broadcast channels and then avoid using subcarriers or bandsindicated in the broadcast channels for transmission to devices on theirnetwork. This prevents interference between cellular networks.

Additionally, WiFi STAs and access points can take into account thefrequencies currently in use by cell network peers as part of their bandand traffic channel assignment decisions. For example, WiFi devices(e.g., user equipment) and access points can detect the spectrum in useby the cellular network via a broadcast SSID. WiFi access points thenavoid using the frequencies of cellular bands and subcarriers based onWiFi SSIDs and associated devices.

The embodiments disclosed herein provide many advantages over the priorart including dynamic coexistence of multiple cellular networks throughscheduled coordination and/or collision avoidance. For example, in someembodiments, a WiFi receiver is incorporated into a base station 106 forfrequency use detection as well as broadcasting to avoid signalingcollisions. Alternatively or additionally, an LTE receiver can beconfigured in your WiFi access point for frequency use detection andbroadcasting. Some embodiments also include dynamic mapping andinterleaving of LTE and WiFi carriers and subcarriers. Other embodimentsprovide for WiFi dissociation for spectrum reallocation to newfrequencies and/or the use of LTE forced network de-registrations forspectrum reallocation to new frequencies. And, the stations 106 can takeinto account the frequencies currently in use by cell network peers andWiFi end points as part of their traffic channel assignment decisions.WiFi STAs and access points can also take into account the frequenciescurrently in use by cell network peers as part of their band and trafficchannel assignment decisions.

The invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, anentirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardwareand software elements. In one embodiment, the invention is implementedin software, which includes but is not limited to firmware, residentsoftware, microcode, etc. FIG. 24 illustrates a computing system 400 inwhich a computer readable medium 406 may provide instructions forperforming any of the methods disclosed herein.

Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer programproduct accessible from the computer readable medium 406 providingprogram code for use by or in connection with a computer or anyinstruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, thecomputer readable medium 406 can be any apparatus that can tangiblystore the program for use by or in connection with the instructionexecution system, apparatus, or device, including the computer system400.

The medium 406 can be any tangible electronic, magnetic, optical,electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus ordevice). Examples of a computer readable medium 406 include asemiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computerdiskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), arigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Some examples of optical disksinclude compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk-read/write(CD-R/W) and DVD.

The computing system 400, suitable for storing and/or executing programcode, can include one or more processors 402 coupled directly orindirectly to memory 408 through a system bus 410. The memory 408 caninclude local memory employed during actual execution of the programcode, bulk storage, and cache memories which provide temporary storageof at least some program code in order to reduce the number of timescode is retrieved from bulk storage during execution. Input/output orI/O devices 404 (including but not limited to keyboards, displays,pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the system either directly orthrough intervening I/O controllers. Network adapters may also becoupled to the system to enable the computing system 400 to becomecoupled to other data processing systems, such as through host systemsinterfaces 412, or remote printers or storage devices throughintervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modem and Ethernetcards are just a few of the currently available types of networkadapters.

Other exemplary embodiments include the use of capacity sharing viavirtual RANs. For example, the wireless base stations 106 of aparticular MCO may be configured as transceivers with digitizers thatdigitize the radio communications of the UEs 125. In this regard, eachbase station 106 may be configured to digitize the radio frequency (RF)spectrum in which the UEs 125 communicate. Then, each base station 106conveys the digitized spectrum to the MCO or some other processingcenter such that the communications of the UEs 125 can be extracted andprocessed.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram a of mobile telecommunication systemsemploying Virtual RAN (VRAN) processing and capacity sharing. In thisVRAN embodiment and in the following VRAN embodiments, the base stations106 generally represent antennas with transceivers. The transceivers, inaddition to communicating to the UE 125 s, receive chunks of RF spectrumin which the UEs operate. The base stations 106 digitize that RFspectrum and forward it for call handling and call processing in the“cloud” or elsewhere away from the base stations 106. For example, aVRAN processor 500 may receive digitized spectrums from multiple basestations 106 to constructively re-create the RF communications of theUEs 125. In this regard, a UE 125's signal may be detected/received bymultiple base stations 106. Some base stations 106 may have strongerdetections of the UE whereas other base stations may receive “multipath”aspects of the UE's signal (e.g., constructive interference). Thevirtual RAN processor 500 processes the digitized spectrums of the basestations 106 that include the UE 125's signal and reconstruct the signalfrom the constructive interference and other receptions of the signal.This allows the MCO to handle the call through the virtual RAN. And, ascheduler (either a local scheduler 155 or a master scheduler 175) isoperable to direct capacity sharing in this VRAN environment.

In FIG. 25, the master scheduler 175 is communicatively coupled to eachof the base stations 106 of each of the MCOs 101 and 102. For thepurposes of illustration, the base stations 106 within the set 103 aregenerally under the control and ownership of the MCO 101 and the basestations 106 within the set 104 are under the control and ownership ofthe MCO 102. Again, the region 105 represents an area where the basestations 106 of each of the MCOs 101 and 102 are similarly located. And,each base station 106 is operable to digitize a frequency spectrum ofradio communications from a plurality of UEs 125.

The scheduler 175, in this embodiment, is also communicatively coupledto the MCOs 101 and 102 via links 111 to provide VRAN processing via theVRAN processor 500 and virtualize the radio access network comprised ofthe base stations 106 of each of the MCOs 101 and 102. Thus, thescheduler 175, in this embodiment, is any combination of system,device(s), software, operable to virtualize the radio access networks ofthe base stations 106 of each of the MCOs 101 and 102. The scheduler 175is also operable to provide capacity sharing among the MCOs 101 and 102in any manner described hereinabove. Capacity sharing in these VRANembodiments can also include the sharing of processing capabilities ofthe VRAN processor 500. Additional details regarding the process of thescheduler 175 are now shown and described with respect to the flowchartof FIG. 26.

In FIG. 26, it is presumed that the wireless communication systemscomprising the MCOs 101 and 102 are operational and that the basestations 106 are receiving and transmitting communications between UEs125. Thus, the base stations 106 are digitizing the RF spectrums wherethe UEs 125 operate. For example, the base stations 106 of the MCO 101may operate under a particular signaling technique and/or frequencyrange specific to the MCO 101. Thus, subscriber UEs are configured tocommunicate with those base stations based on those signaling techniquesand/or frequency ranges of the MCO 101. Subscriber UEs 125 of the MCO102 may communicate based on the signaling techniques and/or frequencyranges germane to the MCO 102.

For the purposes of illustration, the process 550 will be exemplarilydescribed with respect to one UE 125, a subscriber of the MCO 101,ultimately being handled by extra capacity of the MCO 102. The process550 initiates with the VRAN processor 500 processing the streams of thedigitized frequency spectrums of the base stations 106, in the processelement 551. The VRAN processor 500 extracts the radio communications ofthe UE 125 from the digitized frequency spectrums of the base stations106, in the process element 552. For example, the VRAN processor 500 mayprocess stream to digital frequency spectrums of multiple base stations106 of the MCO 101 to reconstruct or otherwise improve the quality ofthe received radio signal of the UE 125 through constructiveinterference (e.g., multipath signals, varying signal strengths of otherbase stations, etc.). The VRAN processor 500 then extracts thereconstructed radio signal of the UE 125 such that the communicationsthereof may be processed and handled by the MCO 101 (e.g., communicatingwith the other end of the call of the UE 125).

Even though the RAN of the base stations 106 is virtualized andprocessed in the cloud, the frequency spectrum in which the basestations 106 operate can become saturated with subscribers such as theUE 125. And, as such, the capacity of the MCO 101 and its associatedbase stations 106 can be exceeded. Alternatively, portions of the MCO101's spectrum can experience interference that simply prevents callsfrom occurring. The scheduler 175, therefore, determines whether thecapacity of the MCO 101 has been exceeded, in the process element 553.If not, the scheduler 175 continues to extract and process the radiocommunications of the UE 125, in the process element 552. Otherwise, thescheduler 175 determines if any additional capacity exists on anotherMCO 102, in the process element 554.

If additional capacity exists, then the scheduler 175 acquires at leasta portion of the capacity of the MCO 102, in the process element 556.This process generally includes handling the UE 125 call through thecapacity of the MCO 102 and thus operating within the signaling and/orfrequency standards of the MCO 102, as described hereinabove, in theprocess element 557. If no additional capacity exists, the scheduler 175may direct the MCO 101 to perform other processing, in the processelement 555. Such may include dropping the UE 125 call, downgrading thecapacity resources of the UE 125 call, and/or prioritizing other callsbeing handled through the MCO 101.

Although generally shown with respect to the MCO 102 also operating withthe VRAN processor 500, the invention is not intended to be limited tosuch operations. In some embodiments, the MCOs 101 and 102 virtualizetheir respective RANs. However, in other embodiments, it may be that asingle MCO virtualizes its RAN. The capacity sharing of the MCOs viaVRAN processing may therefore be operable with any combination of theembodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 27 illustrates an embodiment in which MCOs (e.g., the MCOs 101-103)coordinate to request capacity for subscribers. In this embodiment, theMCOs 101-103 coordinator capacity sharing through the master scheduler175. In this regard, the master scheduler 175 monitors the capacities ofbase stations 106 of each of the MCOs 101-103. When a particular basestation 106 of any given MCO needs additional capacity to supportsubscribers UEs 125, the master scheduler 175 detects this capacityissue and requests capacity from the other MCOs.

To illustrate, the master scheduler 175 detects a capacity issue withthe base station 106-1 of the MCO 101 and initiates a capacity requestto base stations that have additional capacity (e.g., spectrum,signaling, etc.). In this example, the master scheduler 175 detects thatthe base station 106-N of the MCO 102 and the base station 106-1 of theMCO 103 have additional capacity. The master scheduler 135 then requeststhat the additional capacities of those base stations 106 be released.

Once released, the master scheduler 175 grants the additional capacityto the base station 106-1 of the MCO 101. In this regard, the basestation 106-1 of the MCO 101 may acquire additional frequency spectrumand thus digitize more bandwidth and stream that digitized RF to themaster scheduler 175. Once the capacity is no longer required, the basestation 106-1 releases the capacity to the master scheduler 175 suchthat it may return it to the MCOs 102 and 103.

FIG. 28 is another block diagram of a mobile telecommunication systemsemploying VRAN processing and capacity sharing. In this embodiment, theMCOs 101 and 102 perform their own cloud VRAN processing with theirrespective VRAN processors 500-101 and 500-102. Differing from theembodiment in FIG. 29 is the concept that the MCOs 101 and 102 compriselocal schedulers to handle the capacity sharing themselves. For example,when the MCO 101 detects a capacity issue with one of its base stations106, the MCO 101 requests additional capacity from the MCO 102 via itslocal scheduler as similarly described hereinabove.

Since each MCO is capable of virtualizing its own RAN, when a requestfor additional capacity comes in to a particular MCO, that MCO directsone or more of its base stations 106 to digitize/acquire additionalcapacity. For example, a UE 125 subscriber of the MCO 101 may initiate acall through the MCO 101 when no capacity is available through the basestations 106 of the MCO 101. Accordingly, the MCO 101 requests thecapacity from the MCO 102 which in turn may direct one or more of itsbase stations 106 to acquire more frequency spectrum and thus thesignaling of the UE 125 subscriber of the MCO 101. Alternatively oradditionally, the MCO 102 may yield a portion of its spectrum to thebase stations 106 of the MCO 101. The MCO 101 in this regard directs itsbase stations 106 to digitize more spectrum and convey that additionaldigitized spectrum to the MCO 101 for call handling.

FIG. 29 illustrates such an MCO coordination of capacity in anotherexemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, the MCO 101 via its localscheduler/cloud VRAN processor 500-101 detects a capacity issue. Thelocal scheduler then requests additional capacity from the MCOs 102 and103. In this example, the MCO 102 denies the capacity while the MCO 103grants the capacity. In this regard, the MCO 103 directs one or more ofits base stations 106 (e.g. base station 106-1) to release capacity. TheMCO 103 via its local scheduler/cloud VRAN processor 500-103 grants thecapacity request to the MCO 101 which in turn directs its virtualizedRAN of base stations 106 to expand its capacity (e.g., acquire/digitizemore frequency spectrum).

Accordingly, the base stations 106 (e.g., the base station 106-1)acquiring the additional capacity transfer modified waveforms in termsof overall digitized frequency spectrum back to the MCO 101 forprocessing. Once the capacity is no longer needed, the acquiring basestations 106 release the capacity to the MCO 101 which in turn releasesthe capacity to the MCO 103. Afterwards, the MCO 103 directs its basestation to reacquire its previously released capacity.

What is claimed is:
 1. A scheduler operable with a plurality of wirelessbase stations, wherein each base station is operable to digitize afrequency spectrum of radio communications from a plurality of userequipment (UEs), the scheduler comprising: an interface operable tocommunicatively couple to first and second Mobile Central Offices(MCOs), wherein the first MCO is communicatively coupled to a firstportion of the wireless base stations and the second MCO iscommunicatively coupled to a second portion of the wireless basestations; and a processor operable to process the digitized frequencyspectrums of the base stations, to extract radio communications of afirst of the UEs from the digitized frequency spectrums of one or moreof the base stations coupled to the first MCO, to determine that acapacity of the first MCO has been exceeded, to determine that acapacity of the second MCO is available, to acquire at least a portionof the capacity of the second MCO, and to handle a call of the first UEthrough the capacity acquired from the second MCO, wherein the first UEis a subscriber of the first MCO.
 2. The scheduler of claim 1, wherein:the scheduler is further operable to direct the first UE to communicatethrough the capacity acquired from the second MCO via a base station ofthe second MCO.
 3. The scheduler of claim 1, wherein: the acquiredcapacity includes a portion of a Time Division Multiple Access signal, aFrequency Division Multiple Access signal, a Code Division MultipleAccess signal, a channel of an Orthogonal Frequency Division MultipleAccess signal, or a combination thereof.
 4. The scheduler of claim 1,wherein: the acquired capacity includes a block of frequency bandwidth.5. The scheduler of claim 1, wherein: the first MCO is operable tocontrol a Time Division Multiple Access signal, a Frequency DivisionMultiple Access signal, a Code Division Multiple Access signal, anOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access signal, or a combinationthereof in the block of frequency bandwidth.
 6. The scheduler of claim1, wherein: the first MCO comprises Long Term Evolution (LTE) wirelesstelecommunications processing.
 7. The scheduler of claim 1, wherein: theacquired capacity includes processing capabilities of the processorshared by each of the MCOs.
 8. A wireless telecommunications system,comprising: a first plurality of wireless base stations, wherein eachbase station is operable to digitize a frequency spectrum of radiocommunications from a plurality of user equipment (UEs); and a firstMobile Central Office (MCO) communicatively coupled to the firstwireless base stations and operable to handle telecommunications for theUEs, the first MCO comprising: a processor operable to process thedigitized frequency spectrums of the base stations, and to extract radiocommunications of a first of the UEs from the digitized frequencyspectrums of one or more of the base stations coupled to the first MCO;and a scheduler operable to determine that a capacity of the first MCOhas been exceeded, to determine that a capacity of a second MCO isavailable, to acquire at least a portion of the capacity of the secondMCO, and to handle a call of the first UE through the capacity acquiredfrom the second MCO, wherein the first UE is a subscriber of the firstMCO.
 9. The wireless telecommunications system of claim 8, wherein: thefirst MCO is further operable to direct the first UE to communicatethrough the capacity acquired from the second MCO via a base station ofthe second MCO.
 10. The wireless telecommunications system of claim 8,wherein: the acquired capacity includes a portion of a Time DivisionMultiple Access signal, a Frequency Division Multiple Access signal, aCode Division Multiple Access signal, a channel of an OrthogonalFrequency Division Multiple Access signal, or a combination thereof. 11.The wireless telecommunications system of claim 8, wherein: the acquiredcapacity includes a block of frequency bandwidth.
 12. The wirelesstelecommunications system of claim 8, wherein: the first MCO is operableto control a Time Division Multiple Access signal, a Frequency DivisionMultiple Access signal, a Code Division Multiple Access signal, anOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access signal, or a combinationthereof in the block of frequency bandwidth.
 13. The wirelesstelecommunications system of claim 8, wherein: the first MCO comprisesLong Term Evolution (LTE) wireless telecommunications processing. 14.The wireless telecommunications system of claim 8, wherein: the acquiredcapacity includes processing capabilities of a processor of the secondMCO.
 15. A method operable within a wireless telecommunication systemcomprising a first plurality of wireless base stations, and a firstMobile Central Office (MCO) communicatively coupled to the firstwireless base stations, wherein each base station is operable todigitize a frequency spectrum of radio communications from a pluralityof user equipment (UEs) with the first MCO being operable to handlecalls of the UEs, the method comprising: processing the digitizedfrequency spectrums of the base stations; extracting radiocommunications of a first of the UEs from the digitized frequencyspectrums of one or more of the base stations coupled to the first MCO,wherein the first UE is a subscriber of the first MCO; determining thata capacity of the first MCO has been exceeded; determining that acapacity of a second MCO is available; acquiring at least a portion ofthe capacity of the second MCO; and handling the call of the first UEthrough the capacity acquired from the second MCO.
 16. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising: directing the first UE to communicatethrough the capacity acquired from the second MCO via a base station ofthe second MCO.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein: the acquiredcapacity includes a portion of a Time Division Multiple Access signal, aFrequency Division Multiple Access signal, a Code Division MultipleAccess signal, a channel of an Orthogonal Frequency Division MultipleAccess signal, or a combination thereof.
 18. The method of claim 15,wherein: the acquired capacity includes a block of frequency bandwidth,a processing capability of the second MCO, a processing capability of ascheduler.
 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: controlling aTime Division Multiple Access signal, a Frequency Division MultipleAccess signal, a Code Division Multiple Access signal, an OrthogonalFrequency Division Multiple Access signal, or a combination thereof inthe block of frequency bandwidth.
 20. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising: processing the radio communications of the first UE via LongTerm Evolution (LTE) wireless telecommunications signaling.